Pro-gun rights

During the 2025 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly, anti-gunners wasted no time in passing over 20 radical and unconstitutional gun control bills.  

Thankfully, with the power of his pen, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed every piece of gun control which made it to his desk. 

And for that, we are thankful.  

Without Gov. Youngkin’s vetoes we’d be facing new gun controls such as: 

• A so-called “assault weapons” ban.  

• Extended waiting periods to purchase and possess a firearm. 

• Adults between the ages 18-20 having their gun rights stripped away. 

• Dangerous expansion of “gun free” zones. 

• Bans on upgrading the trigger in your firearm(s). 

• A taxpayer funded state office to promote gun control. 

And much, much more.  

While our gun rights are safe for the remainer of 2025, our work in Virginia is far from over. 

That’s because Virginia is one of the few states which holds “off cycle” elections for our state offices. 

So, in the coming months the voters of Virginia will head to the polls in June and November to choose our elected officials.  

The entire House of Delegates is up for reelection with new candidates also running for election in 2025.  

Gov. Glenn Younkin and is termed out, so we will also bear the civic responsibility of electing a new Governor of Virginia and Lt. Governor of Virginia.  

The office of Attorney General will also be up for election.  

And anti-gunners are prepared to pour money, time, and resources into Virginia to make sure the House of Delegates stays in their control while also taking hold of the Governor’s Mansion.  

Just think about all the bills that Youngkin vetoed in 2024 and 2025.  

Without a pro-gun Virginia Governor, we’d be facing the stark reality of Virginia becoming one of the most anti-gun states in America. 

And that is the goal of the anti-gun Left in 2025 and 2026. 

They want to maintain control of the General Assembly, place one of their own in the Governorship, and ram through every single gun control which has been vetoed the last two years. 

Gun Owners of America will be working overtime during the next seven months to ensure that gun grabbers running for office in Virginia are exposed for their untenable beliefs and unconstitutional votes. 

Thank you for your membership and activism – and stay tuned for more election information concerning candidates running for office in Virginia in 2025.

Rhode Island’s House Judiciary Committee will hear a mix of gun related bills tomorrow, March 26th. It is extremely urgent that we contact the Judiciary Committee and urge them to strike down the following bills:

• HB 5443 – Allows individuals to voluntarily add themselves to a watchlist that would restrict their right to purchase or possess a firearm.
• HB 5651 – Allows access to juvenile criminal records in order to conduct firearm background checks.
• HB 5654 – Prevents local licensing authorities from granting concealed carry permits to out-of-state residents based on permits issued by other states.
• HB 5889 – Allows law enforcement agencies to consider expunged records when issuing a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver.
• HB 5890 – Specifies that it is unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen (18) to possess a firearm.
• HB 5436 – Imposes an “assault weapons” ban which would prohibit the future possession, purchase, sale, control, and manufacture of commonly owned firearms.

As mentioned in our previous alerts, Governor McKee has orchestrated the push for an “assault weapons ban” to move forward since the introduction of his FY 2026 Budget proposal and State of the State address earlier this year in January. HB 5436 is currently the largest threat to the well-being of the Second Amendment in Rhode Island and must be stopped.

The Judiciary Committee will also hear a small number of pro-gun bills that can be seen here:

• HB 5653 – Prohibits Licensing authorities from imposing additional or stricter requirements than those set by the Department of Attorney General. They are also prohibited from charging any additional fees.
• HB 5935 – Expands firearm rights to recognize out of state carry permits, authorizes carrying of weapons during emergency evacuations, and establishes an appeal process for being denied a permit.
• HB 5936 – Establishes a process for individuals who are denied a permit to carry a handgun to request a review and appeal the decision.

Because there is such little time before tomorrow’s meeting, GOA is asking that you pick up the phone and call your Representatives about these gun bills!

Phone calls carry far more weight than emails do, and we need to make sure these members hear your message before tomorrow’s meeting. When speaking to a Representative or their staff, you can say something like this:

“Hello, my name is [NAME] and I’m from [TOWN/CITY]. I’m a member of Gun Owners of America and a Rhode Island voter and I encourage you to vote NO on HB 5436, and other gun control bills when they come up in Committee on March 26th. Gun Owners of America will keep me informed of how you vote.”

The list of members on the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee can be seen here:

Chairman Robert Craven – (401) 294-2222
First Vice Chair Carol Hagan McEntee – (401) 222-4435
Second Vice Chair Jason Knight – (401) 903-9804
Representative Edith H. Ajello – (401) 222-2296
Representative José F. Batista – (401) 533-2226
Representative David A. Bennett – (401) 480-4647
Representative Justine A. Caldwell – (401) 212-7320
Representative Julie A. Casimiro – (401) 474-7961
Representative Arthur J. Corvese – (401) 353-8695
Representative Cherie L. Cruz – (401) 222-2447
Representative Matthew S. Dawson – (401) 258-3660
Representative Leonela Felix – (401) 369-5364
Representative Marie A. Hopkins – (401) 203-1517
Representative Thomas E. Noret – (401) 641-0813
Representative David J. Place – (401) 286-2088

Reach out to your legislators immediately using the form above and demand that they OPPOSE the anti-gun bills and SUPPORT the pro-gun bills!

NEW YORK CITY (March 24, 2025) – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced the filing of its opening brief with the federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Christian v. James, an FPC Law case that challenges some of the State of New York’s post-Bruen bans on public carry. The opening brief, filed Friday, addressed the plaintiffs claims regarding carry in public parks and can be viewed at firearmspolicy.org/boron. The Second Circuit plans to hear arguments in June.

GOA Opens Registration for Second Annual GOALS Conference in August 2025 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 24, 2025 

Washington, D.C. – Gun Owners of America (GOA) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the second annual Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit (GOALS), taking place on August 9–10, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, which drew thousands of attendees and featured high-profile speakers, GOALS 2025 promises to be even bigger—bringing together gun rights advocates from across the country for a weekend of advocacy training, grassroots networking, and exclusive industry access. 

Attendees will have the ability to lawfully carry their personal firearms and enjoy hands-on access to firearms and outdoor industry exhibitors, including exclusive previews of upcoming products from GOA’s partners. 

Registration is now open at: www.gunowners.org/GOALS 

Don’t wait—space is limited. Register now and join the nation’s leading grassroots 2A advocates in Knoxville this August. 

Tim Macy, Chairman of GOA’s Board of Directors, added: 

“GOALS isn’t just a conference; it’s a movement. We’re training and empowering gun owners to be effective leaders, building a nationwide community of active, knowledgeable, and passionate law-abiding gun owners. We expect the government to respect the Second Amendment—and if they don’t, our members will take action in state capitols, D.C., and at the ballot box. We’re thrilled to open registration for what will be a landmark event in the fight to protect our constitutionally protected rights.” 

Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, issued the following statement: 

“Our Second Amendment rights are under constant attack, and while recent political victories offer encouragement, the fight is far from over. GOALS is about energizing our grassroots, equipping activists with real tools for change, and uniting our community to push back harder than ever. Last year’s attendees left fired up—this year will be no different.” 

Kailey Neiman, Director of Development and Marketing for GOA, issued the following statement: 

“This isn’t just an event—it’s a rallying point for GOA members to connect, learn, and lead the charge on protecting and restoring the Second Amendment. With free admission for members and their families, a massive 120,000 square foot expo floor, and exclusive access to top-tier speakers and industry innovators, GOALS is our way of saying thank you to the backbone of our movement—our members—while equipping them to defend our rights like never before.” 

Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center or register at https://events.goa.org/goals/. 

-GOA- 

As we told you earlier this year, Gun Owners of America has been working with pro-gun Tennessee State Senators and Representatives to update an important law which protects firearms manufacturers.

The Tennessee bill, titled the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act — and sponsored by Rep. Monty Fritts — is on notice for a House Civil Justice Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, March 26th.

Our Tennessee Gun Owners Lobby Day is also on the 26th, so please consider attending that. Click here for more info!

Much like the federal law which was passed in 2005, Tennessee’s current PLCAA protects the firearm industry against the business-ending lawfare that anti-gun litigants had been waging against manufacturers and dealers alike.

This is a great law – but we believe it can be stronger, offering even better protections from anti-gun activists.

Here is what the update will do.

House Bill 873 would amend the Tennessee state version of the PLCAA by expanding protections to additional entities (like individuals who privately sell firearms) and add additional categories (like suppressors and firearm magazines) while also heavily restricting bad-faith “public nuisance” anti-gun litigants.

HB 873 will help not only protect the Second Amendment rights of manufacturers and citizens, but it will hold anti-gun lawfare activists accountable when they try to drag law-abiding companies and citizens through the court system in an effort to bankrupt them.

Again, this bill is on notice for a House Civil Justice Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, March 26th.

So please use the form above to contact the House Civil Justice Subcommittee and urge them to move HB 873 forward!

Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), a person who has lost their firearms rights under federal law, can apply to the Attorney General for the restoration of their firearms rights. The Attorney General can grant that relief he/she is satisfied that the "circumstances regarding the disability, and the applicant's record and reputation, are such … Continue reading AG Publishes Interim Final Rule Reclaiming Authority to Restore Federal Firearms Rights →

NEW ORLEANS (March 20, 2025) – Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and FPC Action Foundation (FPCAF) issued the following statement regarding United States v. George Peterson, a criminal matter presenting an FPC-backed challenge to the U.S. Government’s regulation of suppressors through unconstitutional registration and taxation requirements. Key case documents in Peterson can be viewed at firearmspolicy.org/peterson.